


The Child

by rogue5_echo3



Series: Luke's Best Friend [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Mandalorian (TV) Season 2, The Mandalorian (TV) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28290396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogue5_echo3/pseuds/rogue5_echo3
Summary: (Y/N) and Luke embark on a journey to save a young Force user and bring them back to the Academy.Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Star Wars. I don't own the dialogue or the plot of S2E16 of the Mandalorian, which the first chapter is based on. I'm not receiving any financial compensation for this work.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Original Character(s), Luke Skywalker/Original Female Character(s), Luke Skywalker/Reader, Luke Skywalker/You
Series: Luke's Best Friend [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2072259
Kudos: 23





	1. The Rescue

“Prepare to exit hyperspace in 3, 2, 1.”

At the call of your best friend, Luke Skywalker, the blue streaks of hyperspace disappear and are replaced by the sight of a large Imperial ship in the blackness of space.

You take a deep breath. Somewhere on that cruiser awaits a Force-sensitive youngling, searching for a master and awaiting your rescue.

“Always with the deep breathing, (Y/N). Don’t be scared.”

You look out the window of your X-wing to see Luke cheekily grinning at you from his own. You shake your head as if to say, “You idiot,” and smile back at him before facing forward again.

“Always with the bad jokes, Skywalker.”

His small laugh crackles through the headset on your helmet. Although the war was over, you both still wear your Rebel Alliance pilot helmets—only now your orange jumpsuits were replaced by dark robes. It feels like a million years have passed since then. You voice your thoughts to Luke.

“Yeah,” he agrees in a small voice, and you know he’s thinking about his father. You let him be for a moment as you touch down in the hangar.

You quickly remove your helmet, smoothe your hair, and pull the hood of your robe over your head. Luke does the same. As you open the hatch and begin to descend the ladder, you reach out with your feelings, searching for the Force user and their companions. In less than a moment, you sense their location, but before you can alert Luke, you hear, “On the bridge.” You nod, even though he can’t see you. You two have always been in sync and attuned to the other’s feelings and thoughts through your connection in the Force. If you know their location, so does he, which is why you know that he can sense their emotions too—a mixed bag of fear and courage, of bewilderment and jealousy.

You reach the floor and turn to look at your friend, who is standing before you with a smile and a determined look in his eye. At the sound of metal feet, Luke reaches up to place a hand on your shoulder to begin your pre-battle ritual. You take another deep breath and see the ghost of a smile on his face. He knows you better than anyone else in the galaxy.

“May the Force be with you, (Y/N).”

“And with you, Luke.”

On cue, you nod at each other and ignite your green lightsabers.

It’s always the same: he initiates the mantra, and you echo. Han likes to tease you that you’re like Luke’s shadow—destined to follow him, to mirror him—but you don’t like this analogy. Although you never say anything (opting instead to simply shake your head at him—a mannerism you’re famous for), you think that an echo is a more fitting analogy. A shadow is carried, whereas an echo is a carrier in itself; it’s an extension of the person. That’s what you and Luke are—you magnify each other.

The ritual over, you move swiftly and silently beside each other. Words are no longer necessary—not that they ever really are. You’ve been communicating without them for years, drawing on the other’s strength and wisdom both in and out of battle.

The first few hallways you walk through are empty, but—you and Luke sense it at the same time—multiple dark troopers wait around the corner. You take a deep breath and advance without hesitation.

The trooper on the right raises his blaster, and you deflect the beam, sending it back at the machine and destroying it. Luke has already cut down the other when two more appear. The both of you make short work of them and move on.

You make your way through more hallways and then come to a bridge, cutting down each trooper one-by-one and not taking a moment to pause or second guess the next move—trusting in the Force. The pattern continues until you reach the elevator.

Luke steps in and you follow. The doors close, and the only sound that can be heard is the slow _beep…beep…beep_ that signals your ascension. Luke grabs your hand and gives it a soft squeeze, letting it go once you squeeze back. A smile graces your face. The gesture’s purpose isn’t to comfort; neither of you are afraid. He’s simply saying, _You’re my best friend. We’re a team._

A solitary, higher-pitched _ding_ announces your arrival. This time it’s Luke who takes a deep breath, centering himself before you continue the battle. The doors open, and you and Luke immediately raise your lightsabers to block the incoming blaster fire.

The hallway is crowded with dark troopers, but you and Luke continue your forward advancement with ease. Luke takes care of the very last trooper, using the Force to crush it.

You nod your head as you witness the display; that seems about right. Luke can be very dramatic sometimes.

“You think you know me _so_ well,” Luke huffs, obviously faking annoyance.

“Was I wrong?” you quip back at him with a laugh.

He meets your eyes and says, “I’m not dignifying your question with an answer,” but the effect of his words is broken by the smile that breaks out on his face.

Suddenly, you remember: “Oh, don’t forget to let R2 know that he can make his way up.”

Luke nods, using the comlink on his wrist to do so. R2 beeps ecstatically, and Luke rolls his eyes while you smile. You love how excited R2 gets about new students at the Academy. You’re surprised that he actually waited for Luke’s call.

At the sound of the blast doors opening, you face forward and stand next to Luke. The two of you walk into the bridge and take a quick scan of your surroundings. There are seven individuals in total, but the Mandalorian and the child peeking out at you from a chair dominate your attention.

Your lightsabers having served their purpose, you and Luke disengage them and put them on your belts. Then, you slowly reach up and remove your hoods.

You look at the Mandalorian, who speaks first.

“Are you Jedis?”

Luke replies, “We are.”

You give the Mandalorian a small smile before turning your attention to the child. He’s curious about you and Luke. You outstretch your arm and beckon, “Come, little one.”

At your words, the child turns to look at the Mandalorian, who looks back at him before turning to you and Luke. “He doesn’t want to go with you.”

You lower your arm and look at Luke, sensing his intention to speak.

“He wants your permission. He is strong with the Force, but talent without training is nothing. We will give our lives to protect the child…but he will not be safe until he masters his abilities.”

You give a slight nod of your head in agreement and watch as the Mandalorian picks up the child and holds him in front of his face. His voice is filled with sadness as he says, “Hey, you go on. These two are of your kind.” He pauses. “I’ll see you again. I promise.”

Cooing, the child reaches up to touch the Mandalorian’s helmet. The Mandalorian hesitates but makes a decision. Holding the child in one hand, he removes the helmet with the other.

 _Huh_ , you think. _He’s handsome._

Luke’s attention shifts to you in a manner imperceptible to everyone else—but not to you. You feel like you’re back on Dagobah again, listening to Yoda exclaim, “Control, control. You must learn control!”

Typical. Luke loves to use Yoda’s wisdom to tease you.

Just as subtle as him, you project to him a roll of your eyes as if to say, “Oh, whatever. I’m aware that this isn’t a love story.” You want to tease him about his own admiration of the opposite sex; you’ve sensed him admiring the Rebel Shock Trooper with the big gun. However, now is not the time. You won’t forget to tease him about it later.

You turn your attention back to the scene before you. The child touches the Mandalorian’s bare face, and you can sense the grief and love in their embrace. The Mandalorian smiles briefly as a single tear runs down his face.

You know that Luke’s mind has wandered toward his father again. He isn’t sad; he’s peaceful, but you take his hand and give it a squeeze anyway. He squeezes back, and you let go.

The Mandalorian’s voice is filled with pride. “All right, pal. It’s time to go. Don’t be afraid.” He sets the child down at his feet, but the child grabs his leg and looks up at him.

Just in time (as always), R2 enters the bridge beside you, beeping with excitement. You and Luke turn in the direction of the astrodroid, who continues to exclaim as the child begins to walk toward it.

The Mandalorian takes this moment to look between you and Luke, and you each give him a nod, which he returns. The gesture is both a promise for the future and an exchange of gratitude.

Then, the child lifts up his arms to you, and you pick him up, looking into his eyes. Luke turns from watching you to look once again upon the Mandalorian. You follow suit.

“May the Force be with you,” Luke states with sincerity.

On cue, you and Luke turn around and walk back to the elevator. You shift the child in your arms, so that he can look upon the Mandalorian. Luke looks at you and smiles.

In the elevator, you once again turn the child, so he and the Mandalorian can say one final, silent goodbye. The moment feels monumental and bigger than life, like the turning point and the culmination of a story all at once. You take a deep breath, and the elevator doors shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part will be about taking Grogu back to the Academy!
> 
> I'll probably add more works to this series about Reader's adventures with Luke.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!! Thank you for reading!!
> 
> **Update: Edited to fix minor errors.


	2. The Return Home

The elevator doors shut, and the _beep…beep…beep_ fills your ears once again as you descend, holding the youngling in your arms. While you and Luke tend to be peaceful, your experience of peace is dependent on circumstance. In the midst of battle, the peace you feel is built on anticipation and confidence—in yourselves, in the Force. That kind of peace feels electric. Now, with the heat of battle having dissipated, your peace morphs into softness and warmth, and you both feel more relaxed.

R2 beeps a question into the silence of the moment.

“That’s a good question, R2,” you say, turning the child around in your arms to look him in the eyes once more. The child coos, and you ask, “What’s your name, little one?”

The child doesn’t speak but communicates with you through the Force: _Grogu_.

“It’s nice to meet you, Grogu,” Luke states, the youngling turning his head to look up at Luke upon hearing his name spoken aloud. The two of you smile at him, and R2 voices his enthusiasm.

Luke continues, “My name is Luke Skywalker, and this,” he explains, pointing at you, “is (Y/F/N) (Y/L/N).” Grogu’s eyes follow the direction of Luke’s finger to look at you but look back at Luke when he continues speaking. “I can sense that you’ve had some training in the past, little one. Master (Y/L/N) and I will pass on to you that which we have learned from our former masters. They taught us how to master and control our abilities, and we’ll do the same for you.” He pauses and catches your eye with a smile that’s filled with memories of the past. Placing one hand on your shoulder, he addresses Grogu again, saying, “And, like I told the Mandalorian, we’ll protect you.”

When Luke finishes his speech, you look back down at Grogu. “Yes, we will,” you assure him, lightly stroking the back of his ear. He seems to enjoy it, because he leans his head into your touch. “And you’ll have a few new friends, who are learning just like you. Right, R2?” you add, and R2 signals his agreement, which makes Grogu giggle.

The elevator halts, and the doors open. You step out with Luke, listening to the soft sound of R2 gliding behind you. The four of you walk in silence toward the hangar as you continue to stroke the child’s ear in comfort. The image of him saying goodbye to the Mandalorian—as well as the grief of the moment—is still clear in your mind. You reach out to sense Grogu’s emotional state. While the intensity has lessened, you’re unsurprised to find undeniable sadness.

You focus your energy on Luke to share with him your observation. Ever since you learned of his father’s path to the Dark side of the Force—especially the feelings that led to it: grief, anger, fear—you and he have been much more mindful than ever before, even more so than after having received Yoda’s constant warnings.

Luke agrees; he can feel it, too. He makes no other comment for a moment before you hear him within your mind: _I can feel you thinking about Yoda…We’ve both known many griefs, (Y/N), but it has been our constant attention to the teachings of Ben and Master Yoda that has fortified our minds from the pull of the Dark side._

You smile and reply. _Well said. We’ll do the same for our padawans._

_Exactly._

_It’s hard to believe that we’re the wise ones now, especially with how much we still joke around._

_You_ do _remember what Yoda was like on the day we first met him, right? He literally teased us, pretending to not be himself. And yet we find ourselves relying on his wisdom every day._

You’re both grinning now. _You got me there. I guess teasing does have its place in the Jedi Order._

You hear a _pffft_ from Luke, and the two of you chuckle while Grogu looks on curiously.

At the end of this exchange, you reach the X-wings and part ways. R2 follows Luke, and you carry Grogu with one hand while using the other to climb the ladder into the cockpit. Once you’ve positioned yourself with Grogu on your lap, you put on your helmet and close the hatch. Luke has done the same.

“Ready?” you ask.

“Ready.” He looks at you. “Let’s go home.”

In sync, you lift off and exit the hangar, immediately pulling your X-wing beside Luke’s in preparation for your jump to hyperspace. “Ready for the jump when you guys are, Luke, R2.”

After a beat, Luke says, “Alright, coordinates are set. Activate hyperdrive in 3, 2, 1.”

Once in hyperspace, you look down to check on Grogu. His dark eyes are closed in sleep, and his head rests against you. You breathe out a sigh; the kid has the right idea.

While you’re unable to see Luke at this speed, you can still communicate through your headsets. You whisper, “Luke, Grogu is asleep.”

The smile on his face is evident in his voice when he says, “Don’t tell me. You’d like to rest, too…Well, go ahead. Good work today. I’ll let you know when we’re about to exit lightspeed. Sleep well.”

R2 echoes Luke’s sentiments, and you chuckle. “Thanks, Luke. Thanks, R2” you whisper, already leaning your head back and closing your eyes.

~ ~ ~

“Wake up, (Y/N).”

You open your eyes, breathe out a soft yawn, and stretch out your arms in front of you before replying, “Hey. I’m awake.”

Satisfied that all is in order after a quick once-over of your ship, you continue, “Ready to deactivate hyperdrive on your call.”

After a pause Luke asks, “How’d you sleep?”

“Pretty well,” you tell him, “although I’ll probably still sleep like a baby once we get back. Speaking of”—you look down at Grogu, whose ears are twitching in his sleep, and chuckle—“a certain youngling is having the nap of his life.”

“Good,” Luke replied, in a voice that told you that his mind was elsewhere—probably on his recent sleeping troubles. You hadn’t questioned him about it, knowing he’d tell you when he was ready, but you hoped that that time come sooner rather than later.

Within the next 15 minutes, you and Luke are touching down in the grassy field on the outskirts of the Academy. It’s nighttime here; stars litter the sky, framing the planet’s two moons, which cast your surroundings in a soft light. Grogu stirs as you pick him up, but he doesn’t wake up. You open the hatch and sigh as the soft, cool breeze meets your skin. It’s heaven after the stillness and staleness of space.

You climb out of the cockpit and down the ladder, feeling a hand on your back as you descend. Your feet hit the earth, and you turn to look at Luke, who has pulled his hand away. A questioning look dons your face, but his expression reveals nothing. You two have been best friends your entire lives, and you certainly aren’t shy about small acts of physical affection, but this was a new one. And yet, he looks like he always does when he squeezes your hand or rests his hand on your shoulder.

Those gestures were messages, ways of communicating without words. However, you haven’t always used physical touch this way; Luke isn’t a touchy-feely person. The first time he squeezed your hand was in the cantina at Mos Eisley, after Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were killed. It had suddenly become all-important to assure one another of your bond—it was all you had left in the world. He began putting his hand on your shoulder after the Battle of Endor, when his conviction that Anakin Skywalker still had good in him was proved true. That particular touch speaks of trusting in the Force and in each other. Does a hand on your back mean something special, too?

For now, it appears that you’ll have to wait for an answer, for Luke simply smiles and starts to walk toward the temple. You watch him for a few seconds, wondering at how mysterious he can be, even after all these years. In the next moment, your attention drifts to the youngling shifting in his sleep. “Alright, little one,” you whisper as you begin to walk, “Let’s get you a nice bed.”

The lights are on when you enter your shared apartment, on the second floor of the temple. R2 is already plugged in to his charging port in the common area, and you can hear Luke moving around in his chambers. After you shut the door, he walks out, moves silently in his now-bare feet toward your chambers, and holds the door open for you. You smile at him as a thank you and enter, projecting to him your intent to leave the lights off, for the light from outside the room casts a dim glow inside, and you don’t want to wake up Grogu. Luke unfolds a cot that was leaning against a wall and places it next to your bed. You move forward and place the child gently down with a soft smile. Turning around to grab a small blanket, you see Luke holding one, a smile on his face. He drapes it gently across the padawan and stands back up, meeting your eyes with his own, which you now realize reveal his sleepiness.

You tilt your head toward the door, indicating for you both to leave. At the door, you take one last look at Grogu’s sleeping form before closing it and leaving a small gap, in case he wakes up and looks for you.

In the common area, Luke is sitting on the couch with his head back and his eyes closed. You remove your shoes, placing them by the entrance, and fill two glasses with water, one of which you place into Luke’s hand as you sit next to him.

The next few moments are quiet, peaceful. Luke sets his glass down on the table in front of you and grabs your free hand, giving it a squeeze and not letting go as he rests them on the couch between you two. You squeeze back and take a sip of water, musing on the events of the day, of the youngling sleeping in the next room.

“I feel more like a parent than a Jedi Master right now,” you say.

Luke shifts a little. “Well, training younglings _is_ the closest we’ll ever get to having children.”

His words might sound harsh to outsiders, but you both are aware of the danger of romantic attachments and the passion and blindness they grow in one’s soul. This is why you were able to answer him with a joke: “Yeah…but you could always track down that beautiful Rebel Shock Trooper from the cruiser in case you change your mind.”

You turn to face him now with a mischievous smile, but he keeps his eyes forward as he says, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on, Luke! You remember…the one with the really big blaster.”

“Was her blaster really that big?”

You giggle, and he scrunches up his face and tilts his head up at the ceiling in thought. Looking at you, he shrugs and says, “Beats me. Anyway, I’m not the one who thinks Grogu’s _dad_ is handsome.”

You feign surprise and set your glass on the table before turning to him. “Hey, we’re talking about you. Not me.”

Grinning, Luke counters, “Says the one who already changed the subject for the sole purpose of teasing me.”

You lean back on the couch again, echoing Luke’s grin and replying matter-of-factly, “I’ve said it once today, and I’ll say it again. Teasing has its place in the Jedi Order.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you see Luke shake his head at you as he chuckles. “What are we even talking about anymore?”

You shrug as laughter threatens to bubble up and admit, “I have absolutely no idea.”

A short, stoic “Hm,” from Luke causes the two of you to finally burst into laughter. As you turn your head to face him, you remember that Grogu is asleep in the next room. You struggle to limit the volume of your laughter and raise a finger to your lips to remind Luke. The gesture just makes the two of you laugh harder. You remove your hand from Luke’s and clutch your stomach. It physically hurts to laugh this hard, but it feels so nice to have a carefree moment, tears rolling down your face in joy.

As your laughter dies down into soft chuckles, you wipe the tears from your face with the sleeve of your robe. Luke’s face is _so_ red, and you can only imagine that yours is, too.

He speaks first. “We must be more tired than we thought.”

You sigh, feeling the truth of his statement in the sudden dryness of your eyes. “Yeah. I’m going to get ready for bed. I’ll take the couch…to give Grogu some space.”

He hesitates. It’s obvious that something is on his mind, but it’s unclear what. You ask him, “What’s up?” and he meets your eyes as a small smile forms on his lips.

“Nothing urgent. We can talk later.” He reaches over, grabs your right hand with his left, and squeezes, a gesture which you automatically return.

Whatever is on his mind, you sense, isn’t anything to feel uneasy about. It’s filled with ideas and hope for the future. That night, as you lay your head down, you’re filled with hope, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know where Luke's Jedi Academy actually was, so I'm leaving it unnamed. Let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas! Thanks for reading!


End file.
